Man in the Shadows
by Feyan
Summary: Plagued with shifting faces and twisted realities, Harry enters a war-torn Wizarding World riddled with its own dire straits; where nothing and no one can be trusted. Least of all him, a half-blood, who's magic somehow damaged itself beyond repair.


Disclaimer: HP = JKR

A/N - Extremely short prologue. It's a Harry/Daphne fic, and if all goes as planned, it will be more of a LightLord!Harry type of story. Be prepared for a different Wizarding World. AU obviously. This fic is unbeta'd. Reviews are loved.

**~Vuor**

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><p><em>Plagued with shifting faces and twisted realities, Harry enters a war-torn Wizarding World riddled with its own dire straits; where nothing and no one can be trusted. Least of all him, a half-blood, who's magic somehow damaged itself beyond repair. <em>

Chapter One: Prologue

**Man in the Shadows **

"Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked in a soft voice, looking up to his willowy guardian with the innocent curiosity of a child. "Who is she?" He pointed to the framed picture, a girl with red hair about his age, beaming at him with his own emerald green eyes.

The woman beside him stiffened, turned pale, and snatched it from the shelf above the mantle with fright. "No one!" She barked, shoving him away from her. In a sudden fit of rage, she threw it to the ground, glass shattering without fail.

She stomped away, muttering, _"That freak!"_

Harry looked over to the fallen picture, and slowly, it started to mend itself, but stayed stubbornly on the ground, as if waiting for him to leave. He blinked his eyes, and for a second he thought she winked at him.

The picture, no matter how many times Aunt Petunia tried to get rid of it, always returned to that spot above the mantel, next to the picture of Uncle Vernon and Petunia's wedding.

Personally, he thought it was his mother - the only person who could rial up that woman like there was no tomorrow. No one ever talked about Petunia's sister - his mother - or his father. Did he have other cousins? Wasn't there another aunt that could take him in?

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><p>"Love and happiness," he said to Dudley, who looked at him with a raised brow. "It's all there is in the world - it's what life is."<p>

Dudley gave him an angry pout. "What about toys?" He persisted, intent on trying to evoke some jealousy in his younger cousin. Which of course, he did spectacularly.

Harry glared at him. "What about toys? You lose them and break most of them anyway! Love and happiness never go away."

"No one loves you though," Dudley insisted with anger. "That's why you got no presents for Christmas - yeah no one likes you at all! See, Piers gave me this toy train because we're best friends!" He shouted, holding up a shiny blue caboose.

Harry's eyes grew shiny. "People do love me..." he retorted snidely.

"Then how come you got no presents?"

His eyes tingled, and then his whole face - it was the same feeling as when your leg numbed from poor circulation.

Dudley gasped, horrified. "Mum! Muuum!" He shrieked, getting up and running from Harry as fast as his legs could carry his bulk.

Petunia peeked her horse-like head around the corner and gasped, grasping her long neck with her hands. "VERNON! THE BOY - DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE BOY!"

Harry was frightened. He jumped from the couch and sprinted to the bathroom mirror - he couldn't see anything wrong with him. He looked as he always did - two emerald eyes set in a pale face. The lightening scar was even still there.

Uncle Vernon opened the door with a great gusto, and they both stared at each other for a moment. He grunted something, and turned his body around to face Aunt Petunia who was behind him, wringing her hands together. "What's wrong with him?"

"I-I-It's gone," she stuttered, wringing her hands in an even more wildly fashion. "Your face, boy! What did you do?" She snapped suddenly.

Harry touched his face, only feeling smooth skin, and looked questioningly at his aunt. "I-I didn't do anything - I don't know what happened!"

"I saw you, boy! I saw that freakishness - you looked like my sister! Dudley saw it even - Vernon ask him!" Vernon didn't even bother to look at Dudley.

"Pet," he sighed. "You've been seeing Lily-"

"DON'T SAY HER NAME!"

"You've been seeing your Goddamn sister everywhere, Pet! There's no picture on her on the mantle, the boy didn't turn into her sister - do you need to go to a hospital?"

Aunt Petunia's face blanched even further, "I must be tired - I haven't been sleeping good..."

"Well there's the problem! All you need is a good rest. Why don't you have a nap, and I'll take Dud out for some ice cream," Uncle Vernon suggested, looking relieved at the thought that all his wife needed was some sleep, and didn't have anything abnormal going on with her.

Harry stood, feet stuck to the ground as his relatives moved away from the bathroom. He had seen the picture too - and his face still didn't feel quite right. He turned away from the door, and looked back at the mirror.

He nearly stumbled over. Using a trembling hand, he twirled a piece of bright red hair with his index finger, a golden sheen shining off of the strands when the bathroom light hit it at the right angle. Freckles were splattered across his nose. His face was softer, and had plush, slightly rosy cheeks.

The brilliant green eyes had stayed. Perhaps they were a shade darker.

He blinked once. Twice. His appearance didn't change.

Fear welled up inside him, viciously gnawing where it laid inside of him. How did can he get rid of it? He needed to go back to normal before Vernon came back to check on him!

Harry gulped, and turned the faucet on and splashed icy water on his face.

Beads of liquid streaked down Harry - no, _Lily's_, child-like face

What was wrong with him?

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><p>AN - The next chapter will be a lot longer :3


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